Author: wwlawyer
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Update: Who’s Ready and other happenings
Every time I come to update this site I’m disappointed in myself for how far behind I’ve fallen. So this post might be a bit of a belated catch-up. Who’s Ready My major new project for 2019 is a new social networking app called Who’s Ready. I’ve got a whole web site set up about…
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First RV trip, lessons and experiences
I realize I’ve fallen behind and this post really merits at least three posts on different topics. So I guess I’ll just dump a lot of info into this one post, with the dates when I should’ve written them. 2/11/18 – After this Yosemite experience, it’s clear to me that I need to make some…
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Birthday in Yosemite
What a long strange trip it’s been! Some of you may have heard of GoRuck. They make backpacks, and to sell more backpacks they invented the sport of “rucking” and started hosting “GoRuck challenge” events in various cities. So they’re known among the adventure/obstacle racing circles and have been on my radar for years. Their…
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Some thoughts on starting a Social Security practice
I’ve been fielding some questions on Reddit lately about starting an SSDI practice, and I’ve been asked to share the content. Unfortunately I can’t copy-paste without doxxing my main Reddit handle, so I’ll have to start from scratch here. I now present my super abridged guide on how to get into Social Security advocacy, assuming…
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Business travel essentials, part one: Packing
The frequent flyer’s handbook part one: The business trip packing list. One part of my work that I really enjoy is traveling to cover cases all over the country. This is usually a service I perform as a contractor for other attorneys when their clients move to a different area, but I sometimes encounter the…
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Lifestyle design
So I’ve dropped this phrase “lifestyle design” on this site a few times and it’s been a while since I explained it, at least concisely, if at all. Lifestyle design is a phrase I stole from Timothy Ferriss’s book “The Four-hour Work Week.” It refers to the idea of taking charge of your complete life…
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Called myself out in a bar
2017 10 10 I’m sitting in a bar in Palm Beach where I just had a conversation with a lovely young woman who claimed to be a writer but admitted she had no real reason not to be committing to her writing except she’s afraid to take the plunge. I told her about what I’d…
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Struggling to get by after receiving benefits
There’s a great article today in the Washington Post exploring in detail the stories of some SSI recipients struggling to get by in rural parts of America. This is a sad truth about our disability benefits system and social safety net in this country: very often the benefits just aren’t enough to get by. It’s…
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How to get Social Security benefits – Part 1, the Initial Application.
Potential clients often ask me what it is that I will do for them, and in a lot of ways the main answer is that I know how to win Social Security benefits, and I take them through the process. It’s true that, if the steps are followed carefully, you may not need help from…
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Commentary on the newly proposed revisions to the Social Security regulations
The government has proposed drastic changes to the Social Security law which would have a devastating effect on Social Security claimants. The proposed regulations and explanatory documents can be found here: http://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=SSA-2012-0035 The rule is presented to look benign enough and even beneficial. The rule is proposed as elevating non-doctor medical sources, such as social workers,…
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Some thoughts on the trend in grant rates
It’s become a harsh fact of life for experienced Social Security advocates: the government simply isn’t granting cases like they used to. The grant rate at the hearing level is down below 50% nationwide according to disabilityjudges.com, which notes that the nationwide average grant rate is down to 44%. Most advocates have seen our…
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Musing on purpose
I’ve been a bit down about work lately and I don’t fully feel like I’m making the difference in the world that I want to make. I’m in Social Security. I advocate for people seeking benefits from the government. The work is depressing because the situation is depressing. Most of my clients wait at least…
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Exciting news
I’m very excited to announce that I’ll be transitioning to an of-counsel role at Ramos & Ramos, and ramping up my roles at Pasternack Tilker, Allsup, and now primarily the office of Lewis Schwartz. Lewis is quite possibly the foremost solo practitioner in Social Security in Western New York, an absolute pillar of the Social Security…
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Why me?
Why go with James for your SSI claim? There are more lawyers and more law firms than ever before. You are constantly bombarded with ads on TV, radio, and billboards. So by now you know pretty well what they all say. What aren’t they saying? At many large firms, your case may not be much…
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Flat rate legal services
Paying for legal services is scary. Lawyers can be expensive. Legal fees can be unpredictable. Expenses can quickly mount. Up-front retainers can be hard to gather. Flat rate services are a new and rapidly trending option in paying for legal services, that can control the magnitude and predictability of costs. The way it works is…
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Systematic File review: an approach for efficiently managing a Social Security practice
To manage a Social Security practice effectively, it is essential to have a system in place for routinely reviewing cases in order to make important case decisions. In order to win cases, you need to know what you have, what you need, and how you will get it. To concentrate your efforts where they will…